By IANS
Havana : More than a million people in 31 countries have regained their eyesight under the Operation Miracle programme jointly sponsored by Cuba and Venezuela, Spain’s EFE news agency reported Monday.
Under the unique programme, which was launched in 2004, a total of 1,003,238 patients have undergone successful eye surgery by the end of 2007, according to a statement by the Mariscal Antonio Jose de Sucre Hospital in the Cuban town of Jagüey Grande in the western province of Matanzas.
Operation Miracle is part of the Sandino commitment, which sees both Venezuela and Cuba coming together with the aim of offering free ophthalmology operations to an estimated six million people in Latin America and the Caribbean by 2016.
It is currently active in 49 centres with 82 surgical facilities where 876 professionals of different medical specialities lend their knowledge and skill.
The project is also part of ALBA (Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas) agreement signed between the two countries in 2004, under which Venezuela supplies oil to Cuba and gets medical facilities in return.
Cuba sends hundreds of medical staff and teachers to Venezuela as per the deal, but its opponents have accused the Cuban government of sending the doctors for political purposes.